Now for Some Brighter News

With our elected officials squabbling over the potential shutdown of the federal government, how about some good news instead? In addition to being the last day in which our government was funded, Monday was also the final day of the third quarter of 2013. Even though the markets took a hit yesterday, it's been a profitable year. Here's how the major indexes look:

• S&P 500 Up 4.7 percent in the third quarter, up 17.9 percent for the year
• Dow Jones Up 1.5 percent in the third quarter, up 15.5 percent for the year
• Nasdaq Up 11 percent in the third quarter, up 24.9 percent for the year

Those are strong figures. And they've played a big role in another number released by the Federal Reserve last week: America's collective household wealth is now up to $74.82 trillion, the highest mark ever.